1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a curtain airbag cushion which is installed adjacent to a roof panel of a vehicle so that when the vehicle is involved in a collision, it is deployed downwards to protect a passenger, and a curtain airbag module using the curtain airbag cushion.
2. Description of Related Art
Curtain airbags and side airbags are representative examples of safety devices designed to handle side collisions of vehicles. Typically, a curtain airbag 30 is installed above an upper end of a window of a vehicle 10 at a position adjacent to a roof panel 12 by a cushion holder 32. The curtain airbag 30 is connected to an inflator 34. When the vehicle 10 is involved in a side collision, the curtain airbag 30 is deployed downwards to protect a passenger from the window and absorb impact generated by the passenger colliding against the side door of the vehicle. Meanwhile, a side airbag 50 is provided in a sidewall of a seat of the vehicle 10 or a filler panel and is connected to an inflator 52. When a side collision occurs, the side airbag 50 is deployed to protect the passenger from colliding with the side door.
The conventional curtain airbag 30 has a length appropriate to cover the window of the vehicle when it is deployed, thus protecting the head H of the passenger P from broken pieces of the window, and preventing the head of the passenger from colliding with the window. Furthermore, the side airbag 50 supports the shoulder S and the upper portion of the arm of the passenger when it is deployed, thus preventing the passenger from colliding with the door.
Recently, as a combination of these two airbags, curtain airbags which have extended lengths so that the chest of the passenger can be protected by a single curtain airbag have been developed. However, in the case of the curtain airbag having an extended length, the time it takes to completely deploy the lower end of the airbag after the inflator explodes is increased. Thus, the airbag may not reliably protect the chest of the passenger. In other words, due to the position of the inflator, the cushion inflates in a direction from the top to the bottom thereof. Therefore, the cushion protects the passenger in the sequence of the head first and then the chest. Thus, when a vehicle collision occurs, a large impact may be applied to the chest of the passenger before the cushion is completely deployed to protect the chest of the passenger. As such, in the conventional curtain airbag having the side airbag function, the upper portion and the lower portion of the cushion cannot be deployed at approximately the same time. As a result, the cushion cannot reliably protect the chest of the passenger.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.